Encore to an Empty Room Read Online Free PDF

twang. “We are . . .”
    The crowd finishes for her and she pumps her fist to each word. “All! Hail! Minions!”
    Molly lays down a buzzing synthesizer part. The rest of her band is pure adrenaline, too. Nicky, the drummer, is the only boy. He plays with these light-up neon sticks. Deena, on bass, always wears silver jumpsuits. They play to prerecorded tracks of guitar and percussion and space sounds, and when Molly starts to sing it’s like she’s growling. The whole thing seems like it should be happening on a spaceship to Mars.
    We all watch, arms crossed like typical musicians, and yet, I’m a little entranced. Can’t help it. Molly casts a spell.
    Until I hear Val groan. “Ugh.” She’s looking past me, and I turn to see a grinning face heading through the crowd, like a shark emerging from the deep.
    â€œThere they are!”
    Of course, it’s Jason Fletcher. “Hey there, Dangerheart.” Jason is in his mid-twenties and always has that professionally unshaven look. Older women probably find him cute but to us he’s all smarm. Tonight he’s wearing a bright pink scarf with his long black coat and a black fedora-style hat. He waves a hand at the Minions. “So, what do you guys think of my new stars?”
    None of us respond to his question.
    But of course, Jason doesn’t care. “Man, I love signing a new band and then going to see them and they’re awesome!”He holds up a hand as if any of us would high-five him.
    â€œYeah . . .” He pulls his hand back, unfazed. “I just got word that these guys will be on the Adrenaline Energy Drink Fresh Faces tour this summer.” He sighs dramatically. “That’s what can happen when you work with your record label friend, and not against him.”
    â€œI thought you were going to be getting us some opening gigs,” I say to Jason. “Not that we even want them.”
    â€œYeah, except that you do.” Wow, nothing can slow Jason down tonight. “I know, Kellen wanted me to put you on the next leg of the Sundays on Mars tour, but they all agree that All Hail Minions! makes more sense. Just look at them . . . definitely worth the advance money we gave them.”
    He takes a second to gaze at the band, and then turns to me, smiling wide. “You want to know how much.”
    â€œI really don’t.” That’s a lie, but I am not going to give him the satisfaction of telling us.
    â€œOne million,” he says anyway. “Nonrefundable advance.”
    Jon whistles. And I see that everyone else’s faces have turned to stone. I feel my heart racing, falling prey to the lure of that number, so shiny . . .
    â€œWell, I hope you’ve learned something from Postcards,” I say, mainly just to say something. I’ve been watching how Jason treated his last big signing, my ex-boyfriend Ethan’s band Postcards from Ariel. Their first EP isn’t doing well.Show attendance isn’t great. Of course he definitely didn’t give Postcards a million freaking dollars.
    â€œI’m always learning,” says Jason. “Speaking of which, anything new I should be learning about Dangerheart? Any lost tapes of Eli White I should be aware of?”
    â€œNot a one,” I say.
    Jason sighs. “That’s a shame. Well, gotta run. We’re doing an interview segment after the Minions set for the NewBeat YouTube channel. Adiós , Dangerheart. Don’t be strangers.”
    Nobody says anything for a minute. When Minions finishes their next song, Jon says:
    â€œA million. Dollars.”
    â€œI hate to say it, but the Fresh Faces lineup is pretty cool this year,” Val adds.
    I want to say something dismissive about how Jason will mess it up, but it will just sound petty. Besides, a million bucks at least means that Candy Shell is really paying attention.
    And it’s weird to watch the Minions set after that news. Hard not to